Improvement in combined high and low pressure engines



2 shets--sheef 1., l T. L. JONES. umbined High and Low Pressure Engines.

' No.l57,404. 'Patented nec.'1,1874.

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2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

, T. L. lunes. Cnmbined High and Low Pressure Engines. 'No.157,404.Patented nec.1,1a14.

WTNEEEES. INVENTFL M JWL Mm @CM NITED N STA'rEs ATENT Ormea THOMAS L.JONES, OF NATOHEZ, MISSISSIPPI, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS HIS RIGHT TOANTHONY PAULY AND THOMAS P. LEATHERS, OF NE'V ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN COMBINED HIGH AND LOW PRESSURE ENGINES.

Specification formirg part of Letters Patent No. 157,404, dated December1, 1874; application filed May 6, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMASL. JONES, a resident of Natchez, Adams county,State of Mississippi, have made new and useful Improvements in CombinedHigh and Low Pressure Engines, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description, reference being hereby had to the annexeddrawing, making part of this specification, in which*- Figure 1 is ahorizontal section onthe line a: w of Fig. 2. The connecting-pipethrough which the exhaust steam is taken to the device is shown. Fig. 2,a transverse vertical section on the line y y of Fig. l, also showingthe connecting-pipe Fig. 3, a side view of the invention, the side platethereof, and also the device for holding the valve in place, beingremoved. The valve is arranged as in Fig. 1. Fig. 4, a view similar tothat of Fig. 3, the valve, however, being arranged as in Fig. 2. In thisand in the preceding view the connection with the main shaft and theecceitric thereon are shown. Fig. 5 is a perspective of the device forholding the valve in position.

Like letters of like kind indicate like parts.

I have heretofore made improvements in steam-engines by which thebenefits of a high and of a low pressure engine can be obtainedconjointly from a single construction. The particular devices referredto, however, (and shown in patents granted nie-April 14, 1868, andSeptember 14, 1869, and numbered, respectively, 76,776 and 94,891, andin patent granted myself, Anthony Pauly, and T. P. Leathers, March 17,1874, and numbered 148,565,) are adaptable t`o engines making but fewrevolutions per minute, such as the puppet-valve engines in use on thesteameis on the Mississippi River.

To provide a construction by means whereof results similar to thoseobtained in the above-mentioned devices can be secured in engines makingfrom fifty to seventy revolutions per minute, such as in use insea-going propellers, is the object of the presentinvention. It consistsmainly in the peculiar means hereinafter described, whereby the exhauststeam, at each stroke of the piston as it leaves the cylinder, is atfirst partly-viz., all saving one atmosphere-suddenly exhausted into theopen air, and afterward-wiz., the remaining one atmosphere-diverted intoa condenser.

In the accompanying drawing, A, Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, represents avalve-chest, which, with reference to the engine-cylinder, may bearranged in any suitable position. The chest A is connected with theexhaust-port of the cylinder by means of an exhaust-pipe, B, which opensinto the chest A at one or (as preferred) two openings, b b.

The ordinary engine-cylinder and its piston are not shown, as theirconstruction and operation are well understood, and because theinvention is used in connection with the exhaust steam only as it isliberated from the engine by its own ordinary valve.

The chest A, so far as its outer walls are concerned, is preferably ofthe form shown. I do not, however, in this respect, wish to be limitedto any particular shape.

O represents a partition or valve-seat, extending through the chest anddividing the same. The space l) above the seat C is what I term adiverting-chamber. In the valveseat is arranged a series, E E E E, ofwhat I term atmospheric ports,77 and also a series,

'F F F, of what I term condenser-ports. The atmospheric and condenserports are ar-` ranged alternately, as shown in Fig. 1, the atmosphericports being at the ends. I do not desire to be limited tothe numbershown. It is, however, essential to have several openings, and of theshape shown-viz., quite narrow in the direction of the movement of thevalve and quite wide in the opposite direction. The atmospheric portsopen into a common chamber, G, which is provided with an escapepipe, H,leading to the open air immediately, or through a suitable heater, toheat feed-water for the boilers. The condenser-ports re,- spectivelylead into as many passages fj" f, which, in turn, lead into a commonchamber, I, which is provided with a pipe, J, leading to a suitablecondenser. K represents a valve arranged to slide upon the valve-seat O.It is provided with openings 7c k 7c 7c, similar in shape and size tothe ports E and F, but so spaced apart as to cause them, in the movementof the valve, either to coincide with the atmospheric ports and closethe condenserports, or to coincide with the condenser-ports and closethe atmospheric ports. The valve through the eccentric rod L, Figs. 3and 4, is operated by a round eccentric, M, or a suitable cut-off cam,Figs. 3 and 4L, which is fastened to the main shaft N. The valve K isproperly adjusted to and held against the valve-seat O by means of apeculiar device, O. (Shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5.) This device consistsof two similar arms, P P', which are connected by a cross-piece, Q, thatis journaled in the arms midway in their length,

.and to which, in turn, at its center, by a jointed connection, isattached an upright stein, It, which extends out through the wall a ofthe valve-chest A, and through a suitable stuffing-box, S. Opposite andagainst the outer end of the stenl It, and working in a suitablebearing, t, is a set-screw, T. At the ends, respectively, of the arms PP', and toward the valve K, are projections d d' d" d."', constitutingfour friction-points, which bear upon the valve. The arms P P' in lengthare about that of the distance from the'extreme port at one end of thevalve-seat to the extreme port at the opposite end. The valve K is,preferably, connected with its stem 70" 011 the inner side of the stemIt.

In operation the steam, at each movement of the piston, being liberatedfrom the engine by the ordinary valve into the ordinary exhaust-pi pe,passes therefrom, through the pipe B, into the chamber D, circulatinglfreely against the valve K. As the engine begins to exhaust, (theeccentric M and valve K being suitably adjusted,) the valve K moves soas to open the atmospheric ports, as shown in Fig. 3, and all but oneatmosphere of steam passes off into the open air merely on the turning-point of the crank.

lt is essential that such liberation of all but one atmosphere of steambe effected as speedily as possible, and that the principal portionofthe stroke of the piston be in connection with the condenser. This isaccomplished by using several ports, and arranging them all asdescribed, and by the arrangement of the eccentric or cam.

Thus constructed and arranged, the entire series of atmospheric portsopen simultaneously and suddenly, affording a free passa-ge for thesteam, and as suddenly closed. The condenser-ports then open, as shownin Fig. 4, and the remaining one atmosphere of steam is diverted intothe condenser.

The eccentric is set so that but a slightpart of its throw will open andclose the atmospheric ports, the remainder thereof being in connectionwith the condenser-ports. Owing, also, to the arrangement of thecondenserports, the openings in the valve necessarily coincide for alonger period with them. This is desirable to secure a perfect vacuum.Should, however, it be desired to throw more of the exhaust into theopen air, the eccentric can be moved back or forward on the main shaftaccordingly.

It will be observed that, as the exhaust steam of the engine is passingoft' through the atmospheric ports, there is pressure of but oneatmosphere upon the valve K, and that is upon its upper side, and overthe condenserports. But when the valve changes, and its openings are putin connection with the condenser, a vacuum is formed in thedivertingchamber D, in common with the condenser and theengine-cylinder, and, consequently, against the under side ot' thevalve, and opposite the atmospheric ports, a pressure of one atmosphereis exerted. The valve, therefore, must be held in place by some agencywhich, at the same time, will not interfere with the free circulation ofthe steam throughout the diverting-chamber. For this purpose I use thedevice O.

By means of the set-screw T the device, at the four points d d', 85e.,is set up against the valve, and caused to support it. The four points dd', 85o., are caused to press evenly upon the valve in consequence ofthe universal joint formed by means of the joints at the ends of thecross-piece Q, and at the end of the stem R.

Should the device work loose, it can be readily adjusted by turning theset-screw T.

The arms P P' ofthe device O are kept from being dislodged under thesliding motion of the valve by four studs, e c' c"v 0"', Fig. 1, setsimilarly in the walls of the chest, and so as to hold the arms P P' inplace.

In Fig. l the arrows indicate the course of the steam to the open air,and in Fig.v 2 to the condenser.

I am aware that manifold openings in the valve and valve-seat of thesteam-chest of an engine have heretofore been used, and therefore I donot claim such, broadly; but

Having described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of the chest A, chambers D, G, and f f f, pipes J andH, valve K, and its seat O, the said valve and seat being provided,respectively, with the openings k 7c' 7c" k' and the ports E E', &c., FF', &c.,rel atively adjusted and arranged and operating to throw theexhaust steam, at each stroke of the piston, partly into the open air,and partly into the condenser, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of the chest A, seat O. valve K, device O, andset-screw T, substantially as described and shown.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

THOS. L. JONES.

Witnesses:

H. Y. CHILD, L. D. ALDRICH.

